The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, 4 December 1919, Page 45

The Family Circle

THE POWER OF A SMILE.

There’s a wondrous lot of power ' In,, an honest, wholesome smile; It often' starts a blessing i • . ' ..- That will travel for a mile.

Why, when hearts are sad and heavy And the days are dark the while. You can notice that things brighten From the moment that you smile. '

What the rose is to the bower. What the jewel is to the ring, What the song is to the robin In the gladsome days of spring; What the gold is to . the sunsets That oft our souls beguile. All this, , and more, to people, Is the blessing of a smile.

When you see a face that’s saddened By the cruelty of strife, Into which have come the wrinkles

From the toils and cares of life. Just send a ray of sunshine To smooth its brow a while. And bestow a passing blessing By the giving of a smile.

— B. W. Burleigh.

CHRIST IN THE HOME.

“Where two. or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them.” W Our Lord’s own promise fulfilled is pictured in this beautiful symbolic scene." No matter how poor or how rich be the fare, when we invoke His blessing before partaking of it, we may be sure that He will be there to bless our board, and sit down to it along with us. Is Christ in our Home? We need not ask the question, if whatever we do, is done in His Name. Christ is in our Home, when love is there, and the prayer that is prompted by it. The Messenger. ' ’

THE CHURCH “SLACKER.”

"You can readier suspect who the church ' slacker ' is," says America. "He is one who wants to be a Catholic,, enjoys the blessings of the Mass and of the Sacraments, who hopes the priest will visit him during rain or blizzard to prepare his soul for eternity, but who thinks nothing of criticising the Church or her clergy, is unwilling to render any service to religion, and refuses to part with a few dollars annually for '■ the things needed to maintain church and school, locally, and to propagate the Faith universally." ' ' • Without question the foregoing passage accurately describes a familiar figure in all our parishes. He is a man, as a rule, who is willing to pay generously and promptly for nearly everything except the upkeep of his. church and the support of his pastor. He has dimes for the movies but only pennies for the poor-box. He is ready to meet in his own home the advanced cost of food, fuel,"; clothing, and labor, but gives neither the priests nor the Sisters much practical help in solving the same problems in ■■■ their houses. He insists upon having a beautiful church to worship in, but does little to help pay for it. He gives his family physician generous fees for ~ r professional , services, but he is quite content to let his pastor work purely for the love of souls. '" He pays without grumbling the tax on his theatre-seat, but complains bitterly of his pew-rent; though that is'probably one of the ; few expenses that the war has left untouched. He insists that the clergy should be patterns ,of refinement, learning,' and holiness,but will give nothing to maintain the seminaries where young men are trained to be the priests he desires. He protests that he realises the importance of Catholic education, but all appeals for the ... parish school fund leave him quite cold. '• : ; --r :. v? : •'■:•■-■. ■ ■ :■' ■ V •■'■ "" i '' i -->..:,-, f .';-. '' ' \,.^-'~'oa4 ADVICE TO YOUTH. (Addressing a number of young men recently atvSt.* John's College, Danvers, "U.S.A., Cardinal O'Connell, Archbishop of Boston, said: —You should be "ever imbued • with? the conviction: that much is due from > you in compensation for what you have received from others'," that 1 you 'are not to strive merely for: yourselves. Work for the good of your fellow-men, "f. for the triumph -of the Catholic cause. Do noi-pattern yourselves by those who are eloquent only in words and whose deeds "show that they lack genuine Dxin-s -s . -,.. .. . .:•■"■»«-■ - . i +P . ,> _*■ ' * » . ~3. ■= -

ciples. The crying need of government and : of education to-day is a set of fixed and. divine principles. You have these; they were taught # you *. in the “ Catholic schools; they are ; beautifully ? summed up in;, the catechism; - they were exemplified and made familiar to . you during your 1 course in college. Life must be ' Jived :oh principles; - and woe betide the individual and .the nation if faith in God and chanty for man are lacking. ' f' : /vv

JUST SEEMING HAPPY.

Just seeming happy is a fine thing to do! * Looking on the bright side rather than the blue;, Sad or sunny musing ■ ; 4 ~■ , —ds largely in the choosing, ■, > ■ And just’ seeming happy is a brave thing to do!

Just ' seeming happy helps the other folks along. The journey may fbe toilsome and they not strong. .1.;-, Let’s try to loose a fetter, And make the world seem better v By stepping to the music of a bright bit of song!

And seeming happy is the right thing to do, Bravely smiling at our tasks the whole day through, ■ Hope to hope be matching, Cheerfulness is catching. Just seeming happy will help make it true!

NUTS TO CRACK.

What burns to keep a secret? Sealing wax. What part of a boat resembles a farmer tiller. ■, What is the best way to keep milk from turning sour?— Drink it. v;

_ Why are fowls economical things to keep —For every grain they give a peck. What is the best way to make a coat last Make the trousers and waistcoat first. « .

Why are oysters the laziest fish in the Because they are always found in their beds. Why is a very amusing, man like a very bad; shot? — Because he keeps the game alive. What is the most wonderful animal in the farmyard?— A pig, because he is killed and then cured. What is it gives a cold, cures .a cold, and pays the doctor’s bill ? —A draft.

Why does a piebald pony never pay toll Because his master pays it for him.

When is a newspaper like a delicate child? When it appears weekly.

THE RETORT.

■ A young lady whose beauty is equal to her bluntness in conversation was visiting at a house where other guests were assembled, among them the oldest son of a rich manufacturer. The talk turned on matrimonial squabbles.* Said the eligible party: “I Hold that the correct thing for the /husband is to begin as he intends to go on. Say that the question is one of smoking. Almost immediately I would show my intentions by lighting a cigar and settling the question for ever.” -

.* “And I would knock the thing out of your mouth!” cried the imperious beauty. ,

“Do you know,” rejoined the young man, “I don’t think you would be there!”

AMBITIOUS YOUTH..

The rich old uncle, from whom much was hoped for, was visiting his niece, who had been telling him how dearly his little great-nephew and namesake loved his school, and how well he was getting on with his studies. ' i ■vi “Well, Teddy,” said the uncle jovially, upon the return of the little boy; “what do you do in school all day?” , .Teddy pondered. “Well,” he said gravely, “mostly I wait until it’s time to go home.”

THE ALTERNATIVE.

; A girl baby was recently brought to a clergyman to bo baptised. The latter asked the name of the baby. . , .“Dinah M.,” the father responded, “But what does M. stand for?” interrogated the minister., •' ' ■

“Well, I don’t know yet; it all depends upon how she turns out.”

. '“How she turns out? Why, Ido not understand you,” said the cleric. ... ’ f w■ v

“Oh, if she , turns out nice ! and sweet and handy about house, like her mother, I shall- call her : Dinah May but if she has a fiery .temper, and displays a bombshell disposition, like mine, I shall call her Dinah' Might!”

THE PROFESSOR'S WISDOM. - Professor in .medical college, exhibiting a patient to his class: "Gentlemen, allow me to call your attention to : this unfortunate man. It is impossible for you to guess what is the matter with him. Examine the shape of his head and the, expression of his eyes, and you are none the wiser for it, but that is not strange. It takes years of experience and constant, study to tell at a glance, as I can, that he is deaf and dumb." Patient (looking up with a grin): 'Professor, I am very sorry, but my brother, who is deaf and dumb, couldn't come to-day, so I came in his place." SMILE RAISERS. "Grandpa," said a small- girl, "I need your advice. I have only five shillings to spend on Cousin Blanche's wedding present, and I want to give something that looks twice as much as it is. What do you suggest?" "Well," he replied, "in consideration of'the high cost of living, I should buy five shillings' worth of rice and boil it." "I was a good girl, mamma," announced Lucille, on her return from the first party, "and talked nice all the time." "And did you say something nice to Mrs. Appleby before leaving?" asked her mother. "I sure did," was the proud answer. I said, 'I had a lovely time, Mrs. Appleby, and had lots more to eat than I expected.' " A little girl of seven or eight years stood one day before a closed gate. A gentleman passed slowly. The little girl turned and said to him : "Will you please open this gate for me?" The gentleman did so. Then he said kindly: —• "Why, my child, couldn't you open the gate for yourself?" "Because," said the little girl, "the paint's not dry yet." The scene was the club smoking-room, and the club bore had been prating of his great abilitieswhat he had done, what he could do, finishing up with saying: "I always go by the old motto, 'lf you want a thing done well, do it yourself.' " "Nonsense!" replied the quiet man in the corner. "Suppose you want a haircut?" Yells from the nursery brought the mother, who found baby gleefully pulling Billy's curls. "Never mind, darling," she comforted. "Baby doesn't know how it hurts." Half an hour later wild shrieks from the baby made her run again to the nursery. ! "Why, Billy," she cried, "what is the matter with baby?" "Nothing, mother," said Billy, calmly; "only now he knows." Teacher: "If you take four fingers from ten, how many remain?" Alice does not reply. Teacher: "How many fingers have you altogether?" Alice: "Ten." Teacher: "And suppose four were missing what have you then?" Alice (beaming): "No music lessons!"